Quilty Goals for July

The Chookshed Challenge number for July is 9 and that for me is to do some hand applique. I added a few stitches to this Ella block that has been languishing for several years awaiting completion. My goal will be to simply complete it. That should take about 15 minutes if I hurry.

There are a few other half done blocks nearby that I can progress also. The right hand is beginning to hurt a bit again. Wonder how long the cortisone will last this time? Last year, it lasted about 2 months.

One sister is visiting for the month on her school vacation time. Another sister will be coming over to visit and work on one of her projects. She lives in a tiny 2 room apartment and does not have the luxury of space like I do. 

Twelve year old Devan will be starting her Jelly Roll Race quilt this week. And all that means that I have to clear away my Stonefields bits and peices.

I did complete my June OMG and now for July, I want to complete the next 7 star blocks for Stonefields. I have a good start on them so far. But we also have houseguests for the entire month.

Blessings,

Chris

Linking with wednesday-wait-loss-439

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Chookshed Challenge May 2025

I have been absent from blogging most of this year. Been a bit distracted with a trip to India, Breast reduction surgery and 11 weeks of treatment for a wound that did not heal quickly becuse of an infection. Time to get communicating again. 

Yesterday I had an appointment with a hand/wrist specialist that was booked nearly a year ago. I wanted another opinion.They put freezing in the palm of my hand just at the base of the bad finger. Then the cortisone directly into the joint. That did not hurt. Much. The swelling from that is almost all gone. Just a bit stiff in the finger. I can now use a butter knife and I tried pushing and pulling the needle and thread in one of my Ella blocks. The fingers are stiff, but there is no pain. These blocks have been waiting for over 3 years. The Chookshed Challenge number for May is 8 and that is Random on my list. What shall I work on? As soon as I announce what I plan to do, I change my mind a do something else. 

I have been dreaming again about starting a bunch of new quilts. I have discovered a new to me quilt shop about 1 1/2 hours from here that has retreats and workshops for the Quiltworx Judy Neimyer amazing patterns. I have the Bali Wedding Star I bought a lot of years ago with pattern and all the papers. I went hunting through my many project boxes looking for the Batik jelly rolls I bought from Craftsy back in 2011? And some yardage at a half price sale.

My research shows lots of different colour options. And custom quilting. I wonder if I could machine quilt as you go? I have lots of time to obsess about that since I have not yet decided to start. 

I have gotten new square project boxes to organize all the papers when I start cutting them out. That is something I could do if we zoom with Chooky tomorrow night. Hhmm?

These were for the Bali Wedding Star. I asked almost 12 year old Devan if she liked the pattern enough to spend the next 5 years helping me make it. Maybe.

I found a tutorial to make the thing so I saved it here .

I want to be able to find it again easily. 

I have a quilt retreat here at the farm the last week of May. My quilting friends from Cornwall will be driving up for the week. My friend Robynne said she would give me her Cattails in the Meadow kit. Pattern and papers. And now, suddenly, I may or may not be in advanced Quiltworx school. Am I ready for this? Come back later this month to see if I remembered to pursue it.

I am off on a Norwegian Cruise with my daughter and plan to take along my Ella applique blocks. Will I finish all 5? I hope so. 

 

Blessings,

Chris

To-Do Tues June 2024

 The Chookshed Challenge # for June is 10. This is Ella. For now, I have 41 blocks on the big design wall. We moved it into the SonRoon for the quilt retreat we had here a couple of weeks ago. That was a lot of fun. Deana from Dreamworthy Quilts and her husband Jim flew in for a few days. My Sweetie kept him entertained driving tractors and other fun farmer stuff and thus, kept out of the quilt room. Some of the girls who used to come here quilting in years past joined us in person and others virutally. We plan to do it again mid Aug. If anyone is interested in joining us, let me know and we can pick you up at the airport. We have had practice doing that. 

For now, Ella has just 6 applique blocks that need to be completed. I originally was going to make 50 blocks, but 41 will work. This will stay up on the wall until those 6 are finished and the sashing sewn on. Then the conundrum of how will it be quilted runs rampant through my thoughts. No idea at this point. If I intend to machine quilt it myself, then I will have to hone my machine quilting skills. So I have been revisiting Angela Walters blog for inspiration. 

My To-Do Tuesday list this week is:

1. Pack my overnight bag for a weekend retreat I have been organizing for my mentoring women's group. 
2. Go to the retreat and enjoy myself. I will not be teaching this time. 
3. Plant those flowers and berries I bought last month that are still in their pots. Not sure where to put them. 
4. Put in a few hand applique stitches on the Ella blocks. This will be my June OMG. Everything I need is right here within reach. 
5. Continue to have fun and laugh. Laughing feels so good. 

Blessings,

Chris

Thoughts on Block of the Month Projects

One of the things I like about joining a block of the month group is the anticipation of a new block or 4 showing up in my inbox on that certain day every month. I wrote it on my calendar for the whole year. One year I had about 4 going at the same time so I colour coded them. Some arrived the same day. Others were spaced out. I loved printing off the pattern, making copies if needed on foundation paper, and pulling out the fabrics to pick my colours. I had all sorts of neatly labeled project boxes piled all over the place. I would spread bits and pieces all over my big tables and prep and baste and make piles of in-process blocks, sort and organize and dream and write up blog posts and put them up on the design wall and take pictures. 

I figure that if I have all the fabrics spread out in front of me, I should prep a whole bunch at the same time. And why not? It seems illogical to me to pull out everything and just prep one block and complete it and put everything away, neatly. Why would I do that when I can have a dozen half made quilts on the wall? I collected the Ella Maria Deacon blocks - 4 each month - all throughout lock down. I had the idea of making 50 blocks of the 85 offered to commemorate 50 years of marriage. Well, we celebrate 52 years this summer and the quilt is this far along. I now have countless projects in various stages of process and few completed quilts.  I love the anticipation. I love the sorting and prep work. I just don't love finishing something when I can make just one more block of something else. 

And where has Chris been for the past 2 months? That is a question I ask myself. I have not been doing much stitching. I have been reading. I have not been writing much. My Sweetie and I quietly launched a new blog called How to Stay Married for 50 Years. This has been an interesting journey as we work on writing together. He is so sweet sometimes and so doggone annoying at other times. But we continue as we have learned some new communications skills. Yup. Even after 52 years of marriage, we are learning new stuff about each other. 

I am off to the Shipshewana Quilt Retreat next week to play with my quilting friends. My tiny project box contains enough to keep me busy for 5 days. A bit of Lucy. A bit of Ella. And even a few Morrell blocks. And why not? Morrell blocks have accompanied me to Shipshewana every one of the 6 trips I have made so far. At the rate I am going, I may have to go to Shipshewana at least a dozen more times to complete it. 

I may leave  my bathing suit at home. And why? Because last time I got a horrible UTI from the hot tub. 

Blessings,

Chris

August 1 To-Do Tuesday

 I did not complete my list for July. But I did  make progress. Some. 

To-Do Tuesday list for July 

1. Write up this blog post today and post it. done
2. Write up blog post on the 50+2 Anniversary Celebration. nope
3. Finally write a post about our trip to Australia back in April. Is it July already? It is August already. 
4. Prepare to launch the new blog How to Stay Married for 50 Years. Goes live next Monday on our official anniversary. So excited!!
5. OMG goal for July will be to complete this To-Do list. It worked last time I did that. Did not work this time. 
6. Find both parts of the hexie ruler for the QAYG to send back to England with my sister who has been visiting here this week for the party. I had it with me when I visited her last summer, but forgot to leave it. I have 2 days. I did not find the other piece. What I did was  misplace the first one. Sheesh. I will be visiting her in April for her grandson's wedding. I have 9 months. So, she flew out a few days later and I found both parts of the ruler. One part was in Lucy's big project box. The other is in the small rulers box where it belonged. I have until April to not lose them again. 
7. Clear away the recent mess I made in the Blue Room and get it set up to do some serious quilting. This includes setting up 4 machines with 4 projects. Cleared the mess and set up 3 machines. Even used 2 of them.  
8. RSC colour for July is red. Get the red Bright Jane blocks out, organized and actually sew some of them. Not sure how many yet to do in red, but complete at least 1. Not even one.
   
   
   
9. Complete 1 applique block and 1 pieced block for Ella. It has been on the big design wall for the past few weeks. DONE ! ! !
10. Complete the Wedding Quilt. It went on pause yet again when I had the second eye surgery. That eye is not healing as quickly as the first one. Not a stitch. 
    
    
    
11. Complete one Lucy block then glue baste a few more squares. Hand stitching on this has been very difficult for the past few months. Done the one I started in April at Scrub Stitchin.
12. Revisit 23 ufos for 2023 and make a plan. done and pulled out the Corn and Beans blocks to started to put up on the big design wall. 

Now to be more realistic in my planning. This week's list includes:

1. Put away my books and clear off the tables.
2. Figure out how to correct the printer off-line error so we can print stuff. 
3. Put away the clutter from the big ironing board,
4. Take some before and after photos.
5. Write up some blog posts.
6. Sew up one yellow Bright Jane block. 
7. Fix the mitered corners on the center medallion of the Wedding Quilt. 
8. Prewash the new fabric for Windermere. 
   
   
   
9. Put up the Corn and Beans blocks on the big design wall and decide on a setting. There are so many options. Getting this to a flimsy will be my OMG goal for August.
10. Cut out a couple of Lucy blocks. 
11. Launch the new How to Stay Married for 50 Years blog. 
12. Find the new mouse traps I bought last week and set them. 

That should keep me busy this week. It is really quiet here these days. We have had record rains this past week and the weeds are incredible. I have discovered that pulling them out of the mulch around the patio is a lot easier than pulling them out of the other flower beds. I get someone else to do that. 

Blessings,

Chris

Linking to: OMG

RSC

To-Do Tuesday

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Back in the Game

 To-Do Tuesday list for July

1. Write up this blog post today and post it.
2. Write up blog post on the 50+2 Anniversary Celebration.
3. Finally write a post about our trip to Australia back in April. Is it July already?
4. Prepare to launch the new blog How to Stay Married for 50 Years. 
5. OMG goal for July will be to complete this To-Do list. It worked last time I did that.
6. Find both parts of the hexie ruler for the QAYG to send back to England with my sister who has been visiting here this week for the party. I had it with me when I visited her last summer, but forgot to leave it. I have 2 days. 
7. Clear away the recent mess I made in the Blue Room and get it set up to do some serious quilting. This includes setting up 4 machines with 4 projects. 
8. RSC colour for July is red. Get the red Bright Jane blocks out, organized and actually sew some of them. Not sure how many yet to do in red, but complete at least 1. 
9. Complete 1 applique block and 1 pieced block for Ella. It has been on the big design wall for the past few weeks.
10. Complete the Wedding Quilt. It went on pause yet again when I had the second eye surgery. That eye is not healing as quickly as the first one.
11. Complete one Lucy block then glue baste a few more squares. Hand stitching on this has been very difficult for the past few months.
12. Revisit 23 ufos for 2023 and make a plan.

This should keep me busy for the next few weeks. I could have added prewash the fabric that my sister brought me from England for Windermere, plan a short trip away with my Sweetie, and consider the new BOM that Sentimental Stitches has been teasing us with the past couple of weeks. But, alas, the house is still full of family visitors, even though the house is empty for this hour and I get to use my own computer, and there is a wedding celebration in the back yard this Sat but we are only providing the venue since everything is already in place after our party.

Oh, and I finally found the battery charger for the camera when I was looking for new post-it pad. 

Blessings,

Chris

What Will My Next Impulse Project Be?

I am an impulsive type who obsesses ad nauseatum about the next project I want to work on. I see so many fun creative quilt projects and quilt-a-longs that are so tempting, but reality tells me I need to take that time and energy to finish off a few of the ones I so loved when I started and I still love them as I pull them out, put them on the design wall and drool over their beauty. Then I walk out of the room and totally forget their existence. 

So, here are a few future possibilities.

The Storyteller's Sampler Quilt.
Only 369 two and a quarter inch hexagons. Will I make them all? Of course not. But I would like to make a few. At least 7 to make one collection. But then, as I keep reading through the book, she increased the size of some of the blocks by 141% to make something bigger. Now there is an idea. 

Then there is Cadence Court. 

This was a BOM from Sassafras Lane Designs. Where did I find it? Don't remember. But thought it might be a fun Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. But then, I do not want to begin another until my Bright Jane blocks are done. Also, it is mostly foundation pieced and I have been doing FPP for quite a few blocks and am sort of tired of it. 

Then I bought Wandering Geese from Canuk Quilt. This also looks to be a RSC possibility. But then, Bright Jane might be offended. 

Whatever happened to the hand applique quilts that I so love to work on? Oh yeah. I am still working on a couple. 

And then, I was talking to a friend I hadn't seen since covid lockdown. She reminded me that we both bought Jinny Beyer's BOM from Craftsy way back when and do I want to join her in making it? Sure, since I have the patterns and she does not. but where is the kit? Wait! I bought 2 kits. They are here somewhere. This is in the most vibrant turquoise and gold and blacks. But, now that I recall, I do not like sewing with black. Alas, I will have cataract surgery in May so my opinion might change. 

I have not forgotten Windermere. I bought the book when it came out. I bought the papers back in the winter. I have most of the fabrics in one or 2 of the collection boxes. I do like the purple sashing she used, but cannot find that in any of my searches. I have another that might work. 

So as I parade my thoughts upon the page, I am reminded that Lucy is hovering nearby wanting to play and Ella is begging to go to Australia with me. And Bright Jane has quite the rejection complex. But then, March is green month and her green blocks are all done. Of course, Sarah Morrell cannot complain since she decorated the big design wall for more than a month this winter. Shades of Pemberley got some focused attention for the Dust Off a Quilt Book blog-hop. TOMDO (Think of Me Dear One a Baltimore Album Quilt) got a few hand stitches one night because pouty Lucy was in time out. 

For the first 3 months of 2023, I have pulled out and added a few stitches to 7 of  my 23ufo  quilts. Not nearly as much as I would have liked, because I have been diligently progressing on the Wedding Quilt. This is what it looked like the last time it was up on the wall. Now to get assembling those blocks and triangles. 

Not to mention that I was in Germany last week for a women's retreat with my daughter and oldest granddaughter. 

I will be off the grid for most of April having fun with my Sweetie and Scrub Stitching. I have booked a few days at a Farm Stay just because I could.  And I will have so much more room in my carry-on bag without the winter coat and boots. Three flights down and only 8 more planes to get on and off.

Blessings,

Chris 

OMG and To-Do Tuesday for all of March

 I have been so taken up with working on the Shade's of Pemberley ufo for Dust Off a Book Blog Hop. It will be going on all week. You can find links here to see what other quilters have been inspired by old quilt books. I also have been slowly but diligently working on the Wedding Quilt. I made almost as many mistakes as I did correct seams. It was quite discouraging to keep unstitching. I don't know about a lot of other quilters, but I find that working at my machine for any length of time exhausting. I have dealt with low back pain most of my adult life and trying to do the finish-it-up-marathon was very painful. Hense, the hot tub. I was up and down to clip, cut, sew, press, line up, etc.

I thought I was getting quite a good workout, but not so. I have spent a small fortune over the years on physio, massage, chiro, osteo, and pain killers. The hot tub is the best treatment. Even in the snow. 

Now to change focus for this month. 

I am going away next week and again for most of the month of April. I plan to take along a few hand applique blocks for Ella aka the Anniversary Quilt.

I have not done any significant work on it for 2 years and it is time to finish it up. And why? Because we have set a date for the 50+2 Anniversary Celebration. It will be the weekend of July 1-4. That is a long weekend here in Canada and in America where some of our family live. We have booked a tent and a bouncy castle and a roaster for a pig roast. It is going to be spectacular. 

But I still have to finish the quilt. So, my goals this month will be to complete these 3 foundation pieced blocks that are already prepped and on the go. I also want to make significant progress on the applique blocks. That is it for my quilty goals. 

My 40 Bags are filling up. I have about 7 right now and time this week to fill a whole lot more. Mostly outgrown clothes and empty yogurt containers I use for freezing meals. I will be dropping off the clothes on Thurs. 

Linking with Carol at To-Do Tuesday and Patty at One Monthly Goal. Now to get busy.

Blessings,

Chris

To-Do Tuesday Mid July

Mid-year-check-in with my 2022 quilting goals is an epic fail. I have not completed anything on the list. I started one new project the Churn Dash SAL with Chooky and friends. Then I was carefully ransacking through many of the project boxes looking for a specific fabric for fussy cutting and got thinking about working on a bunch of different ufos, but really was wanting to cut out more hexies for Lucy since I finally took time to prewash a huge pile of fabrics.

And did I complete the Lucy block I was working on last Sunday? NO. But I did get some stitching done the other day, so some progress.  

I got distracted with our son getting married here at the farm in the spring and making a wedding quilt which was on the big ufo list but not on the 2022 goals list. Can I change the list? And what are the chances of me actually completing all 12 projects on the list before the end of this year? Or, better still, completing any of them at the rate I am going?

I have a long to-do list on my desk upstairs that has more than quilting goals for the week. But, alas, we are going on a road trip next week so that will have to be stretched out for another week. This is the road trip we postponed last week because the local expressway is taking a "shortcut" through our heifer field beside the house. At least that is the term our newly married son used to explain all the smelly asphalt in our yard and a newly paved lane down through the field. They are repaving the expressway and we are getting "free" ground-up asphalt delivered for a mere $100 per load ( about 5 loads each of 4-5 nights) plus $1000 per week rental of the roller packer thingy to level it. My Sweetie wanted to be here when all this was going on. And why are we doing this since we sold the cows? Who knows. My Sweetie has to have something to do. We did bale up a field of second-cut hay this weekend. The expressway is 2 km south of us. 

So my official To-DoTuesday list for the next 2 weeks includes:

1. Progress on Biblical Blocks aka the Wedding Quilt.
2. Cut out more backgrounds of Churn Dash. I am using an assortment of cream Bella Solids. The colours are all cut and ready to make a gazillion HSTs. 
3. Complete Lucy #7 block. This is as far as I got so far.
   
   
   
4. Prep and place the corner buds for Ben Biggs. 
5. Prep some handwork to take on the road trip. Stitching together the paper-lined hexies does not go well in the car. I may pull out a couple of Ella applique blocks that have been sitting in a box for more than a year waiting their turn for completion. 

My hands are not working as efficiently as they used to so any progress is slow. My OMG goal for the month is to have fun working on a few different quilt projects and that I am so far. 

Blessings,

Chris

Another To-Do Tuesday

 I cannot believe another Tuesday is here. Some days seem to go by so slow and when I look back, the week is gone and did I get anything done? Well, I did complete 9 of the 12 items on my to-do list last week. 

I got all the sashing strips sewn together with most of the cornerstones. I had to look for the rest but found them in a box of threads? They are the ones going down from the left to the right. 

I cut out the rest of the fabrics for the Macaron Mystery, sewed up half-square triangles, and started on the flying geese. Interruptions came when the girls returned after being away for 5 weeks. Over the Christmas holidays, they went vacationing to snowy Quebec with their father and when they had to do remote learning, they all went back to Quebec and did their school work and played in the snow. We finally had some lasting snow last week and the temperatures dipped to -20C. That is a bit chilly for this farm girl but I did get into the hot tub a couple of times at -14C. 

I made significant progress on Lucy during several zoom meetings. I have not yet sewn any blocks together, but there is a lot of prep work to do before that. Cutting the fabrics after choosing them. Basting the fabrics onto the paper pieces. Waiting while more paper pieces are shipped. I had cut a lot of white background from 2 1/2 inch squares I cut with the GO cutter. Trimming them to the one-inch elongated hexies was easy then. I want to avoid using glue so I can reuse the papers. I decided to use wonder clips to hold the corners in place before hand basting. This is working for me for now.

My list for this week:

1. Square up the Summer QAL blocks and sew them together.
2. Finish the 5 Ella blocks for OMG. What is the point of joining the group if I do not actually follow through on the challenge?  
3. Make one, just one Bright Jane block in January's RSC colour red. I have 10 red blocks to make to complete that colour. I wonder what the Feb colour will be? I have all the green and aqua blocks done, so I can do more red instead if one of those colours is chosen. If it is purple, it may be a while since I still have 19 more of those. Bright Jane is on my PHD 2022 challenge list. 
4. Virtual Writing Retreat on the weekend. This is when I set aside 2 whole days to join my online writing group and actually write instead of talking about writing and writing about writing and thinking about writing. I wonder what I will write? In the 2 years I have been part of Christian Book Academy, I mostly wrote blog posts and did coursework for my doctorate. Well, I completed the doctorate last year and graduated. So now I cannot use that as an excuse to finish writing my books. I have 3 on the go. 

This should be enough to keep me going this week. 

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: texasquiltgal.com/

inquiringquilter.wednesday-wait-loss-

myquiltinfatuation.

alyciaquilts.finished-or-not.

wendysquiltsandmore peacock party

ninamariesayre.off-wall-friday.

To-Do Tuesday

 Last week was quite successful in accomplishing many of my weekly goals. Even in the midst of changes. We ended up staying over a second night and brought the boys back to the farm very early so they could log into online school. Some serious cleaning and more declutter got done. Well, much of the clutter, already boxed up, got relocated out of sight leaving my old quilt room a happy place for the retreat I was hosting and teaching. We are limited to 5 people. Three showed up and we did some inductive Bible Study skills training. It was good. I certainly needed the refresher. I have taught this many times in many places but the first time in my quilt room. 

This week's To-Do list:

1. Sew up the rest of the sashing strips I cut today for the Ella quilt.
   
2. Attach the cornerstones making sure I get the one-way design on the strips going the right way alternately. 
3. Get them all up on the design wall in the right direction. 
4. Continue making the 5 Ella blocks for OMG. 
   
   
5. Cut the rest of the fabric for the Macaron Mystery. Clue #8 comes out on Feb 4 and I am still back on Clue # 2 or 3. 
6. Press, trim, square up and sew together the blocks for the Summer QAL.
   
   
   
   .
7. File T4 Summaries for the last time ever because we sold the cows and no longer have employees and we are doing taxes next week. 
8. Breast screening Tuesday
9. Massage Wednesday
10. Booster shot Thursday
11. Zoom quilting Friday and again Saturday.  
12. Spend a bit of time with Lucy. 
    
    
    
     

And why can I suddenly plan to be so productive this week? Because I decluttered the Old Quilt Room aka the parlour and home office and have 2 very large empty tables together where I presently have no less than 4 projects on the go. My brain can function better in less clutter. 

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: texasquiltgal./to-do-tuesday   smallquiltsanddollquilts.design-wall-monday

January 2022 OMG Goal

 I love making goals. I love making plans. I love making lists. I love dreaming about the possibilities. But I need some accountability to follow through on those goals and plans. When we canceled our plans for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration last April, I pretty much stopped working on the 50th Anniversary Quilt aka Ella. This is what it looked like the last time I put it up on the big design wall.

 

I want to get it complete. For my Jan OMG goal, I am aiming for completing at least 5 more foundation pieced blocks this month. I could also sew on more of the sashing strips. That would make it easier to put on the wall. But there is a directional design and I am trying to get all the little designs going in the correct direction. Maybe I could even sew on some of the brown cornerstones. I have them all cut out. Sitting in a box. Somewhere.

Blessings,

Chris 

linking with: katiemaequilts/boms-away-

Thread

 Can we ever have too much thread? Well, maybe not. I usually work on 3-4 different hand stitcheries at a time and pull out the threads I need and put them into a small project box. but I seldom return everything when I am done. Still have a few days to get my Dec OMG organizing done. 

I was looking for the perfect turquoise thread for an Ella Block before we left to spend the weekend with the little boys for Christmas and pulled out all these see-through containers looking for the thread I had used on the last block I stitched on who knows when since it was so long ago. In the end, I did no stitching but lots of snuggling and eating. 

Now to get ready to spend the afternoon with Chooky and friends on zoom and some Slow Stitching. 

Blessings,

Chris

Back Basting and Muffins

 My handwork for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

The retired framer made potato leek soup earlier this week and banana muffins last night. I think it will be fun to have him around the house more.

Blessings,

Chris

More Ella Blocks

 I had intended to sew up the last of the foundation pieced Ella blocks way back in June. 

I copied the foundation patterns from the downloads that I purchased monthly for half price. Four blocks a month for 21 months at $2.50 USD. But I am only making 50 of them.

And Yes, I made a royal mess more than once choosing fabrics for these blocks. I was determined to not use turkey red, chrome yellow, and poison gree. I chose my pallet from the Sussanah Scraps collection by Betsy Cutchian from Moda. 

I redrafted a few on EQ7 and was able to save and print them before whatever happened happened that I cannot find my files. 

During some of the online quilt meetings I took part in, I cut out the units and the fabrics. I decided that saving them into individual file folders would keep them together and save losing them like I am prone to do. 

I even tried sewing some of the units together, but realize that I cannot talk and sew at the same time and not make mistakes. Speaking of sewing mistakes, 8-year-old Elly has learned to use the seam ripper very well without even being told she has a mistake or crooked seam. Got to love OCD grandchildren. More on her new quilt another day. 

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: smallquiltsanddollquilts.design-wall-monday

Hand Stitching for Today

 It is Sunday and very quiet here this morning so far. I have been up for about an hour and a half and wrote my Morning pages. What is that you may ask? Come back later this week and I will tell you. 

I was looking through my Ella project box looking for something to stitch by hand since it is the day we slow down and do Slow Stitching. 

Here is what I found. 

 Five blocks started and not completed. Three of them were partly stitched back in the spring and are just waiting for me to do some more back basting. Somewhere along the line, I placed each of the blocks and the extra fabrics in file folders to keep them nice and flat and together. One of the things that slow me down is continual rummaging through the fabrics and creating a mess. Now I know how to make a mess, but I am trying to get more organized so I can be more productive. 

I wonder how much progress I will make today?

Blessings,

Chris

No New Quilt Starts (Maybe)

 I am seriously considering no new quilt starts for 2022. I managed to go 2 whole years between starts back in 2018-2020. I was determined to complete the Cherries Quilt. In that time I also completed the 1857 Album and the Dear Daugther Sampler. 

Well, that is not entirely true. I started Dear Daughter in March of 2018. Then nothing new until Ella Maria Deacon in April 2020. So I actually went only a whole year without starting something. 

But what if Gay at Sentimental Stitches comes out with the reproduction of a certain applique quilt she showed us at one of the Shipshewana Retreats? I will have to decide. She has revealed 2 new quilt-a-longs so far in 2022.

potluck-block-of-the-week

This one has many blocks that I have already made in other samplers. But it is in 30s fabrics and I have so many. But then, I still have The 3030 Sampler on the go.  

little-blocks-365

She is offering a repeat of The Little Blocks 365. I did not start that one. I am already making some of those patterns in 4.5 inches to complete the Bright Jane quilt that has been languishing in a project box for years. I started that one in Sept 2014. That will be on my ufo completion list for the coming year. 

 uptown-applique-block-of-the-month

This one is truly unique. 

I don't have to decide today now do I?  

AND, bless her heart, Gay is considering extending the retreat for 2 more days !!!!! So, a whole WEEK of retreat quilting. I'd better get planning.

Blessings,

Chris

Sunday Slow Stitching

 I will be doing some needle-turned hand applique on this Ella Maria Deacon block. I started it around April. It is time to complete it. 

Linking up with Kathy at Slow Sunday Stitching. 
Blessings,

Chris

October 2021 OMG Goal

 My OMG goal for October will be to Quilt for 15 minutes almost every day. I have to leave a bit of leeway. This way I can work on several projects at a time without the pressure to actually complete any specific one. I only missed 2 days from Jan-Apr, then I fell off the wagon for May-Aug. Time to get back in the game. Included will be actual hand stitching, machine sewing and quilting, block prepping, pressing, putting blocks on the wall, printing patterns, 

Some of the things I want to work on.

50th Anniversary Quilt aka Ella. I have 6 foundation blocks prepped and 9 applique blocks half done. There seems to be no rush since we postponed the anniversary celebration until next year. But that might come sooner than I think if I keep procrastinating. 

Poppy's Garden. I woke up from a nap dreaming of a creative way to make a lot of circles. This included stretching out a metal tape measure while applying tape to it until it was long enough, then tracing circles using a wine cork onto the tape and cutting them out. I do not drink wine and I just ordered an Accuquilt circle die. I have some of the most interesting dreams. I changed the background colour to a crisp white and the colors now look good. I also found the rest of the purple/green/paisley fabric I bought some years ago. It will be the focus fabric. I get to add orange and turquoise. 

Macaron Mystery. I haven't actually started working on this yet. I was waiting for a few more clues before dive-bombing in. I want to do some of the cutting prep work.

Summer QAL. Jonathan told me he liked the colours in this when the blocks were on the design wall. I have yet to assemble them and add borders. 

Machine Quilting something. Anything. I finally set up the new Jazz that I bought 6 months ago.

I am considering quilting goals for 2022 already. Seriously. It has something to do with delaying and sabotaging my writing goals. It was while I was doing this that I had the impulsive idea to donate a dozen ufos. Also, I have already given brain activity to projects to take along to the Shipshewana Retreat in April. We registered back in April in faith that we could cross the border into the USA next April. We have our rooms booked.  

The cleaning lady has finally been able to come back and we are doing decluttering. 

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: wendysquiltsandmore. 

alyciaquilts.finished-or-not.friday

ninamariesayre.off-wall-friday.

link-party-patchwork-quilts-

katiemaequilts.boms-away-